Rotary sprinkler



ROTARY SPR I NKLER Filed Oct. 28, 1965 INVENTORS l |G.3. HARLES s. PENFIELD \F BY OY 0. WILSON JR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patentofitice 3,357,644 Patented Dec. 12, 1967 3,357,644 RGTARY SPRINKLER Charles S. Pentield, Encino, Camarillo, Calif. 93010, and Roy C. Wilson, Jr., 947 Grant Line Road, Santa Paula, Calif. 93060 Filed Get. 28, 1965, Ser. No. 505,490 3 Claims. (Cl. 239231) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure provides a lawn sprinkler including a vertical conduit portion connected to a source of water and mounted for rotation about a vertical axis. This conduit includes an horizontally extending tube terminating in a down turned vertical portion. An elbow member pivotally connects to the end of the vertical portion and has an horizontal outlet opening receiving a nozzle. The nozzle itself is designed to be rotatably received in the horizontal outlet of the elbow so that rotation of the nozzle about its longitudinal axis will change the trajectory of fluid emanating from the end of the nozzle. In addition, rotation of the nozzle and elbow in the horizontal plane about the down turned vertical portion of the tube will change the horizontal direction of fluid passing from the nozzle relative to the main vertical axis of rotation to vary the reaction moment arm created by the water and thus enable a change in the rotational speed of the sprinkler to be realized. A counterbalance arm and suitable weight extend in an opposite horizontal direction from the vertical conduit to dynamically balance the sprinkler.

This invention relates generally to fluid sprinklers and more particularly to an improved rotary sprinkler particularly well adapted for agricultural purposes.

In irrigation of grooves and orchards in heavy soil, it has been found that a slow rate of water application is desirable in order to provide good water penetration without undue runoff. Attempts have accordingly been made to develop rotary sprinklers which rotate at slow speeds; however, many of these do not provide completely satisfactory results since the speed of rotation of the sprinkler cannot be quickly and easily adjusted to an optimum value, thereby permitting the issuing water to be thrust outwardly to cover a large area. Thus, presently available rotary sprinklers which are incapable of being so adjusted under actual working conditions in the field, must be de signed and redesigned on a trial and error basis until the speed of rotation approaches a desirable value.

With the foregoing in mind, it is accordingly a primary object of this invention to provide an improved rotary sprinkler which is quickly and easily adjustable to rotate at various selected speeds to thereby vary the thrust of the issuing water to cover large areas surrounding the sprinkler to the end that the maximum potential of the sprinkler is utilized.

Another object is to provide an improved rotary sprinkler adapted to rotate dependably for long periods of time without the necessity of repair or replacement of parts.

Another object is to provide an improved rotary sprinkler which is balanced about its axis of rotation.

Briefly, these and many other objects and advantages of this invention are attained by providing a rotary fluid sprinkler adapted to be coupled to a source of fluid under pressure for rotation about a substantially vertical axis.

The rotary sprinkler includes an improved hearing as sembly which, when subjected to fluid pressure, acts to maintain the relatively rotatable elements in properly aligned position thus insuring long, dependable operation.

The rotary sprinkler conducts fluid upwardly through a generally vertically disposed rotatable conduit which communicates with a laterally extending fluid conducting tube terminating in a downturned end portion.

In accordance with an important feature of the invention, the end portion of the tube is adapted to receive an elbow member for pivotal movement with respect to the end portion. A nozzle means is coupled to the elbow member and is thus mounted for pivotal movement about the end portion of the tube and may be pivoted to any desired angle with respect to the fluid conducting tube.

The nozzle means is preferably provided with means for issuing a slender stream of fluid against an intersecting surface which creates a reaction force imparting rotation to the sprinkler, the speed of which is variable in response to pivotal movement of the nozzle means with respect to the tube.

In order to balance the sprinkler for rotation, a counterweight is secured thereto, generally opposite to the lateral extent of the tube.

A better understanding of the invention will now be had by referring to a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the improved rotary sprinkler of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view, partly in crosssection, of the rotary sprinkler as shown in FIGURE 1; and,

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary plan view, partly in crosssection, illustrating the manner in which the sprinkler may be adjusted to vary its speed of rotation.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, the rotary fluid sprinkler of the present invention is generally indicated by the numeral 10. The sprinkler 10 is rotatably coupled to a vertically extending pipe 11 which conducts fluid under pressure to the sprinkler. The sprinkler includes a bear ing member 12 secured to the pipe 11 and a hub member 13 mounted for rotation about the bearing member 12. Secured to the hub member 13 and extending laterally therefrom is a tubular arm 14 to which is secured a counterweight 15 as shown.

Secured to the hub 13 on a side thereof opposite the arm 14 is a laterally extending fluid conducting tube 16 including a downward bend at 17 terminating in a generally vertically extending end portion 18.

A coupling elbow 19 is pivotally secured to the end portion 18 and has secured thereto a nozzle means 20' which includes an outlet opening 21 and a transversely arcuate, angularly disposed surface 22 adapted to deflect a slender stream of fluid issuing from the outlet opening 21.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, it will be seen that the bearing member 12 is secured to the pipe 11 by means of a threaded connection shown at 23. As shown, the bearing member 12 includes an internal cylindrical bearing surface 24 extending generally vertically. Positioned within the bearing member 12 is a vertically disposed conduit 25 secured to the hub 13 by means of a threaded connection shown at 26. The vertical conduit 25 terminates at its lower end in a circular out-turned flange 27 having an upwardly facing, inwardly tapered, annular seat 28 as shown. A cylindrical tubular bearing sleeve 29 is disposed around the vertical conduit 25 in engagement with the seat 28 and extending upwardly therefrom in engagement with the internal cylindrical bearing surface 24 of the bearing member 12. A Washer 30 made, for example, of neoprene is positioned around the bearing sleeve 29 on the tapered seat 28. A second washer 31 made, for example, of Teflon is positioned on the washer 30, and a third washer 32 made, for example, of neoprene, is positioned on the second washer 31 in engagement with an annular end face 33 bounded by a circular downwardly extending flange 34 formed on the bottom end of the bearing member 12.

The foregoing arrangement constitutes the improved bearing assembly of the invention which permits the hub 13, conduit 25, sleeve 29, and washers 30 through 32 to rotate with respect to the bearing member 12 about a substantially vertical axis of rotation AA.

In accordance with an important feature of the invention, the coupling elbow 19 is pivotally secured to the end portion 18 by means of a threaded connection 35 which enables the elbow 19 to be pivoted or rotated about a substantially vertical axis of rotation BB disposed along the longitudinal extent of the end portion 18. The connection 35 is constructed to have sufficient friction so that when the elbow 19 is pivoted about the axis B-B, the position of the elbow with respect to the longitudinal extent of the tube 16 is maintained in the selected position until manually moved into a subsequent position.

As shown, the elbow 19 includes a curvilinear fluid passage 36 communicating with the fluid conducting tube 16 and the nozzle means 20 which is secured to the elbow 19 by means of a threaded connection shown at 37.

The nozzle 20 includes a longitudinally extending fluid discharge passage 38 communicating with the fluid passage 36 and terminating in the outlet opening 21. As shown, the nozzle 20 extends outwardly from the end portion 18 at a substantially right angle for pivotal movement about axis BB.

FIGURE 3 illustrates the manner in which the nozzle 20 may be pivoted about the end of the tube 16 for purposes to become clear in the following description of the operation of the improved rotary sprinkler.

In operation and with reference first to FIGURE 2, fluid under pressure issues from the pipe 11 upwardly through the conduit 25. In so doing, the conduit is urged upwardly, lightly compressing the washers 30 to 32 between the tapered seat 28 and the annular end face 33. Due to the inwardly tapered construction of the seat 28 in conjunction with the constraining effect of the circular flange 34, the washers are forced inwardly and are maintained in vertically aligned position and are thus prevented from being expanded outwardly, thereby insuring proper alignment of the relatively rotatable elements and dependable operation.

As the fluid flow continues, the interior of the arm 14 is filled and the flow passes into the fluid conducting tube 16, through the curved fluid passage 36 and then through the outlet passage 38 from which the fluid issues in a slender stream from the outlet opening 21.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the stream of fluid impinges upon the angularly disposed surface 22 which deflects the fluid outwardly from the sprinkler in a fan-shaped spray, generally in the direction of the arrow A. It is apparent that the trajectory of the spray may be raised or lowered by simply rotating the nozzle 20 about its longitudinal axis, thereby varying the range of fluid distribution.

As the fluid stream impinges upon the surface 22, a reaction force is created which acts in the direction of arrow B extending generally opposite to arrow A. Inasmuch as the reaction force represented by the arrow A is laterally spaced from the center of the hub 13 a distance represented, by a moment arm M, rotary movement is imparted to the sprinkler about the center of the hub 13 in the direction shown by arrow C.

It will now be seen that by increasing or decreasing the angle D between the longitudinal extent of the tube 16 and the nozzle 20 by moving the nozzle in the direction of arrows E and F, respectively, the moment arm M will accordingly be decreased or increased, thereby varying the speed of rotation of the sprinkler. Thus, for example, if it is desired to decrease the speed of rotation, the operator need merely pivot the nozzle 20 about the end portion 18 in the direction of arrow E, thereby decreasing the length of the moment arm M which causes a decrease in the speed of rotation of the sprinkler due to the fact that the reactive force is acting through a shortened moment arm.

The weight of the fluid within the arm 14 together with the weight of the counterweight 15 balances the sprinkler for smooth rotation about the axis of rotation A-A shown in FIGURE 2.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that this invention provides a simple and effective means for varying the speed of rotation of a water sprinkler insuring optimum water application over a wide area.

Various changes falling within the scope and spirit of this invention will occur to those skilled in the art. The rotary fluid sprinkler is therefore not to be thought of as limited to the specific embodiment set forth.

What is claimed is:

1. A rotary sprinkler, comprising, in combination: a vertical conduit; a bearing member journalling said conduit to a source of fluid pressure for rotation about a vertical axis; a fluid conducting tube coupled to and in fluid communication with said vertical conduit, said tube extending horizontally a given distance and terminating in a vertically downwardly extending end portion; a coupling elbow pivotally connected to said end portion and including a curvilinear fluid passage communicating at one of its ends with said downwardly extending end portion and having its other end directed in a horizontal direction; and a fluid discharge nozzle rotatably coupled to said other end of said curvilinear fluid passage, said nozzle extending horizontally and being capable of rotation about its own horizontal longitudinal axis relative to said other end, said nozzle including an angularly disposed surface for deflecting an horizontal stream of fluid issuing from said nozzle in a desired trajectory in accord with the rotational position of said nozzle, the direction of said horizontal stream in an horizontal plane defining a moment arm from said vertical axis at said source of fluid pressure to impart rotary movement to said nozzle, tube, and conduit about said source of fluid, the speed of said rotary movement being adjustable in response to pivotal movement of said elbow and nozzle in an horizontal plane about said vertically downwardly extending end portion of said tube. v

2. The subject matter of claim 1, in which said vertical conduit includes an out-turned circular flange on its bottom end forming an upwardly facing annular seat, said seat tapering inwardly toward the vertical axis of said vertical conduit; said bearing member including an annular end face positioned above said annular seat; and washer means positioned on said annular seat and extending upwardly into engagement with said annular end face whereby fluid pressure exerted upwardly on said flange forces said washer means inwardly on said annular seat, thereby maintaining said washer means between said annular seat and said ann l r e d face.

3. The subject matter of claim 1, including a hub interconnecting said vertical conduit and said fluid conducting tube; and an arm connected to said hub and ex tending outwardly therefrom in an horizontal direction opposite to the direction of said fluid conducting tube and including weight means to provide a counterweight for balancing the sprinkler about its axis of rotation.

References Cited 6 Lewis 239-258 X Coles et al 239-258 X Koeppel 239 259 X Crow 239-231 Rosenkranz 239-258 X Howard 239-258 X H0 Chow et al. 239-258 X Sandie 239-261 X Mattson et al. 239-258 X M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner. V. C. WILKS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A ROTARY SPRINKLER, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A VERTICAL CONDUIT; A BEARING MEMBER JOURNALLING SAID CONDUIT TO A SOURCE OF FLUID PRESSURE FOR ROTATION ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS; A FLUID CONDUCTING TUBE COUPLED TO AND IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH SAID VERTICAL CONDUIT, SAID TUBE EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY A GIVEN DISTANCE AND TERMINATING IN A VERTICALLY DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING END PORTION; A COUPLING ELBOW PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID END PORTION AND INCLUDING A CURVILINEAR FLUID PASSAGE COMMUNICATING AT ONE OF ITS ENDS WITH SAID DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING END PORTION AND HAVING ITS OTHER END DIRECTED IN A HORIZONTAL DIRECTION; AND A FLUID DISCHARGE NOZZLE ROTATABLY COUPLED TO SAID OTHER END OF SAID CURVILINEAR FLUID PASSAGE, SAID NOZZLE EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY AND BEING CAPABLE OF ROTATION ABOUT ITS OWN HORIZONTAL LONGITUDINAL AXIS RELATIVE 